Ice-creeper.



R. A. BREHM. ICE 0:25am. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21. I917.

Patented June 1 2, 191

Elma/r1430:

Km H- BREHM BAY A. BREHIVI, OF PALMYRA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ICE-GREEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1917.

Application filed March 21, 1917. Serial No. 156,399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAY A. BREHM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Palmyra, in the county of Lebanon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Creepers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to ice creepers, or like devices, and the general object of the invention is the provision of a very simply constructed creeper so formed that it may be adjusted to suit different sized shoes, and further so formed that it will clamp upon the shoe and conform more or less to the shape thereof.

A 'further object of the invention is to provide an ice creeper comprising a heel section and a sole section, having suitable straps to pass over the sole and heel of the shoe, the sole section and heel section being so connected that they may be disposed in angular relation to each other to thereby cause the creeper to conform to the angle of the foot.

A further object of the invention is to provide a creeper of this character with detachable calks which, when worn down, may be removed either for resharpening or for replacement.

Other objects will. appear in the course of the following description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of an ice creeper constructed in accordance with my invention, showing in dotted lines the inclination which may be given to the sole plate relative to the heel plate;

Fig. 2 is an underside plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation;

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary section through the plate 28 to show the manner in which the calks are attached.

Referring to these figures, it will be seen that my improved ice creeper consists of a heel section 10 and a sole section 11. The heel section is formed of a sheet of relatively thin metal, having a tang 12 extending therefrom and relatively narrow, this tang being deflected upward from the level of the plate forming the heel section and then extending forward. A small plate of metal, designated 13, is riveted to the tang 12 and extends forward therefrom, this plate being longitudinally slotted as at 14:. Disposed at intervals, adjacent the curved margin of the heel section, are the pins 15 and engaged by these pins to the heel sec tion are a plurality of clamps 16 and 17, there being two clamps 16 disposed on the sides of the heel section and one clamp 17 disposed at the rear of the heel section. The member 17 is formed integral with the heel section 10 but the clamps 16 are formed of pieces of metal bent into angular form, the bottom flanges being formed with slots 18 and the upwardly extending flanges being formed with downwardly inclined slots 19. The pins 15 pass through the slots 18 and are overturned at their ends so that these clamps 16 have sliding and rotative engagement upon the pins 15. The upwardly extending clamp 17 is formed with two vertically dis posed slots 20. These slots and the slots 19 are for the passage of the strap which extends over the instep of the shoe, as will hereafter appear.

The sole section 11 consists of a plate of thin metal having an approximately triangular form to provide a rearwardly extending tang 21, which overlaps the member 13 and which is provided with a downwardly extending pin or rivet 22, having a relatively large diameter, this pin or rivet 22 passing through the slot 1 1 and being overturned. Thus the sole section is slidingly and pivotally connected to the heel section. The forward end of the sole section is formed with the pins or rivets 23, which extend downward from the underside of the sole section and disposed on each side of the sole section are the toe clamps 241, both of these clamps being alike, and both of them being angular in form to provide a bottom flange and an upwardly extending flange, the bottom flange being formed with a slot 25 extending transversely of the sole section, and the upwardly extending flange being formed with a longitudinally extending flange 26 for the passage of the toe strap 27.

Riveted to the under face of the sole section 11 is an approximately triangular and relatively thick plate of metal 28, screwthreaded for the reception of the shanks of the calks 29. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the calks 29 are provided with pointed lower ends, with a screw-threaded upper end 30, and with a shoulder 31, which when the calks are in position bear solidly against the relatively thick plate 28. Riveted to the under face of the heel section 10 is a plate 32 which is made of relatively thick metalformed with a plurality of screw-threaded apertures for engagement in the shanks of the calks 29. The plate 32, is cutaway at its sides as at 33, so as to accommodate the inwardly extending base flanges of the clamps 16.

Passing through the diagonal slots 19 of the clamps '16-and through the vertical slots- 'frictionall en a e the heel and so as to also cause the inward movement of the clamp 16 against the heel. The'toe strap, when tightened, holds the toe portion firmly ;to the sole ofthe shoe and also causesthe inward movement ofthe clamps 24 so as to tighten them upon'the sides of the shoe. Because of the pivotal and sliding engagement of the clamps 16 and the clamps 24 with the heel section and sole section respec tively, it is obvious that these clamps will conform to the inclination of the sides ofthe shoesole and it is further seen that because of the'pivotal connection between the sole section and the heel section, the sole section may be inclined'relativerto the longitudinal axis of the heel section, so as to fit the inclination of many shoes, where the longitudinal axis of the sole is inclined laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the heels Furthermore, the slot 14 permits the heel section and sole section to be adjusted toward or'from each other, so as to adapt the device within certain limits to be applied to shoes having different lengths,the clamps 16 and 24 being also adjustable so as to adapt the creeper to shoes having different widths of heel and sole.

The calks are to be of case hardened steel so that they'will retain their sharpness for a longtime. The shoulder 31-is many sided so as to permit the calks to be removed from the sole plates and heel plates. While I have referred to my device as being-used as an ice creeper, it will be obvious that it may be used in climbing over rocks, in climbing-mountains and under many differ- .ent circumstances, where shoes with hob nailsor with studded soles would be used.

Having described my invention, what I claim is V 1. A creeper of the character described comprising'a sole section and a heel section, provided with sole and heel clamping members respectively, the clamping members being slotted and the sections having pins assin i throu h said slots the arran ement being such that the clamping members may be longitudinally or pivotally adjusted, calks mounted upon the heel and sole sections, and straps for engaging the creeper with the shoe. r

2. A creeper of the character described comprising a sole sectionand a heel section pivotally connected to each other for movement in parallel planesinto angular rela-V tron, sole and heel clamps mounted upon the sole and heel sections respectively, each 7 of said clamps being'mounted for inward and outward movement and pivotal movement, and straps engaging the heel and sole sections of the shoe. I

3. In a creeper ofthe character described, aheel and sole section operatively connected to each other, the heel sectionbeing provided atits rear end-with an upwardly extending lug vertically slotted at two points, clamping-members havingslotted faces and havingupwardly extending portions formed with inclined slots, pins passing through the heel section and the slots in the faces of the clamps, and a strap passing through the slots-"of the heel lug and through the inclined slots of the laterally disposed clamps and adapted to-pass overthe instep r of=the shoe, clampsmounted on the lateral portions of the sole sections and pivotally and slidingly connected to the sole sections and having slots at their upwardly extending portions, and a toe strap passing the sole section at opposite sides thereof and adjustable "toward-or from each other, a strap connectingsaid clamps, heel clamps mounted upon the heel section and adjustable toward or from-each other, a strap engaging said clamps, relatively thick calk supporting plates-riveted'to the bottom'of the heel section and of the-sole section respectively and havingscrewihreaded openings, and calks having screw threaded shanks engageable 1n said openlngs and'hav- 'ing shoulders bearing against the -under faces of said plates.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. RAY A. BREHM.

Witnesses: V I I r WILLIAM S; PooRMAN, HARRY *M. Z'IMMERMAN.

Qopieaof this patent may be ebtainedror five cents each, my-addressing the flommissioner of 'Patents, Washington, D. Q, 

